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Lobster help - Hey Leroy!

Luvs to shoot clay
Luvs to shoot clay Posts: 774
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Just made it home from H.E.B. with 10 lobsters that S.C. said were $6.99 a pound. Still have plenty and no limit. Just boiled two, couldn't wait long enough to fire up the BGE. Now how to freeze the other eight and maybe go get some more. Sure are good! I am thinking pull the tails and claws off then vacuum pack them. Any ideas on how to do this?

Comments

  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    I saw the tails that leroy bought and they were florida. I would place two each in a ziploc quart size head to tail and fill with water and freeze.
    Place a pan under the bags until frozen 'cause if the bag gets a hole the freezer gets a bath.. I do this with tails and shrimp all the time and they last forever. Found a bag of shimp that got lost for 2 years and they were as fresh as the day caught.
  • So whole, claws and all?
  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    The picture that sc posted was just the tail for florida lobster. My fish monger that week was getting $14.95/lb for the 1- 1 1/4 tails only. Do you have florida or maine? tails or full body?
  • Sorry, these are live. Whole lobsters, maybe not as good a deal as Leroy got but still tasted good.
  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    Luvs....a couple questions for you first....
    First, I am assuming these are cold water lobsters....like Maine or New England lobster?

    Why the rush to freeze??

    What is it you ultimately want to end up with, product wise?

    I grew up in New England, and know my way around lobster better than I want to really admit... :laugh: There are many options here....let me know what you want to end up with, and I will provide you with a couple options.
  • FlaPoolman
    FlaPoolman Posts: 11,676
    Do a search for Maineggs lobster dip and send me your address ,,, there will be no need for the freezer :woohoo: :whistle:
  • I really planned to egg them later. I bought 10 of them and boiled a couple of them tonight. Just not sure how to keep the other ten. Rita is pretty good about this kind of stuff but I don't know how long I can keep them in the sink. My main objective is to save some for later. I guess they are cold water lobsters, but they say USA live caught.
  • I should have said the other 8, too much wine with dinner and before.
  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    Sound like maine lobsters. If the goal is to save for the future I would steam them, cool and place the entire lobster in a bag with water and freeze, or you could cook them take the meat out of the tails and claws and freeze in food savers.and the bodies boil and make a stock. Several options. Michelle probably has this base covered.


    Let us in.
    100_2358.jpg

    Here is a recipe I like.

    Soup, Bisque, Lobster, Poor Man's


    INGREDIENTS:
    1/2 Stick Butter or Margarine
    2-3 1 Lbs Lobster Shells, Meat removed
    1 Cup Chicken Broth
    1 Small Lobster Tail, Still In Shell
    2-3 Shallots, Peeled & Sliced
    1/4 Cup Dry White Wine
    1/2 Onion, Chopped
    2 Tbs Tomato Paste
    2 Tsp Cornstarch
    1 Cup 1/2 & 1/2, Cream
    1 Lemon, Sliced Into Rounds
    Fresh Parsley, Minced
    Salt/Pepper to Taste




    Procedure:
    1 In a heavy soup kettle, over moderate heat, melt butter and in it saute shallots and onion until they are translucent. Add lobster shells and stir, cooking for 2 minutes, being careful not to brown or burn butter (keep heat fairly low). Add tomato paste (push shells aside to add it to butter, stirring and cooking about 30 seconds, then add wine, and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add chicken broth, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pression on solids with a heavy mug or canned good, to extract as much liquid as possible.. Discard solids. (Bisque may be prepared ahead to this point and frozen or refrigerated until ready to use.)
    2 A half hour before serving; bring bisque broth to a boil, reduce to simmer. Add the fresh lobster tail, cook 4-5 minutes, remove tail from broth with tongs, allow to cool enough to handle. Crack tail shell so as to remove the meat in one piece. Discard shell. Slice cooled lobster meat into thin rounds. Lay each round atop a lemon slice and sprinkle with a little minced parsley. Cover with plastic film wrap and set aside to use as a garnish.
    3 Stir 1-2 teaspoons cornstarch into the cream until dissolved. Add cream to broth and stir, simmering, until bisque is thick and creamy. Taste and correct seasoning. If broth is not pink enough, add a drop of red food coloring to give it a nice, pale, rosy color. Ladle hot bisque into bowls, top with lemon/lobster medallions and serve with crusty bread and butter.


    Yield: 6-8 Servings

    Recipe Type
    Soup

    Recipe Source
    Source: Florida Today
  • First of all, Welcome Home... I take it that you will be here for Thanksgiving. That probably means you will also be home for Christmas. That's a good thing. Thanksgiving and Christmas in China can't possibly be as nice as being home.

    You got the real stuff. I just got 'bait.' Mine are just the tails and were actually $6.99 each. Frozen.

    Photos0006.jpg

    We plan on using a couple of them for making some lobster dip and maybe use the others for a surf 'n turf dinner in the future.

    Like Richard said, they are probably Florida or at least warm water lobsters. Smaller. Even so I think I got a good deal.

    I can't help you on what to do to freeze them so pay attention to the other suggestions.

    Good luck and Merry Thanksgiving.

    Spring "Percieved Value Is Better Than Actual Value" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA
  • Thanks Leroy,
    I will be home for Thanksgiving but back in China for Christmas. Boo. Every other year it changes so I can't complain too much. We are going to cook a Turducken on the egg. Can't wait. It will be great.
    I think you got a better deal with the tails. 10 of these were about $70 so I guess they weigh about a pound a piece. Pretty small I guess but still pretty good eating.
  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
    Hey great to see ya posting man!!
    Everything good? Yum lobsta!!
    What, no pics? You've been gone too long. :laugh:
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    Willy,
    Keep in the sink?? First....do not attempt to keep them live in water!! If you want to keep them alive, place them in an empty bottom drawer of your fridge, and place a wet/a bit more than damp, towel on top of them. They will live in the fridge for up to 72 hours, but 48 is usually the cut off.....
    I do NOT recommend freezing them in a completely uncooked state if you are planning to keep them whole. Par boil them for 4-5 minutes....they will still be undercooked and ready to be finished on the egg in the future.
    If you want to freeze just tails, remember you are dismembering a live creature. Put a knife through the head between the eyes and down through the point (nose), which will cause instant death, then dismember. You can freeze the tails raw, but I would cook off the claws and knuckles, pick the meat, and use that meat for an awesome lobster salad (lobster, diced celery and mayo....period....awesome!)
    The bodies can also be boiled to make an awesome lobster bisque!!! If you are interested and game for the challenge, let me know and I will provide you with a recipe.
    First things first....move the live lobsters to the drawer of the fridge, and cover with a wet towel or wet newspapers. NOO standing water!!! It is imperative to keep them alive until you choose your next step. If any lobsters have died thus far, cook them immediately.
    I will be waiting for your questions...lol....I know this was a lot of info, especially after wine...lol. :)
  • Mine were just the tail: completely headless, clawless, armless and apparently brainless (they got caught didn't they)

    Could have been really large crawfish for all I know about lobsters.

    Spring "Clueless Can Be Bliss" Chicken
  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    Like mine fighting to get into the BGE.
    PS sent you for Tim a resale large BGE and table the other day. Let me know if you need more info.
  • Thanks guys and gals,
    They are the kind in the pictures, with the claws. They are all still alive in the sink, no water. I will par boil them, take the tails and freeze them, they cook and pick the claws. I hate to wast the rest of the critter but lobster bisque sound a little too much for tonight.
    I appreciate. as always, all the help.
  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    throw the shells in gallon ziploc and they will freeze well for a few months. Great stock and bisque.
  • TXTriker
    TXTriker Posts: 1,177
    Huh, I had no idea. I figured they all had claws.
  • Thanks, I will freeze the shells as well.
  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    Willie...You do not have to tackle this tonight!!! Just move them to the fridge live...they will live 2-3 days!! Tackle the project tomorrow!!! Be easy on yourself!
    And if you still decide to par boil them all tonight, save the water you boil them in!! Bisque is WAY too easy to toss that flavor down the drain...
    My suggestion....put them in the drawer in the fridge overnight.....tackle the project tomorrow. They will be alive...I promise. ;)